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A Guide for Caregivers of Veterans or Service Members

Every caregiving journey is unique — shaped by your loved one’s needs and your role in their life. There are amazing resources to help guide you through it.

Being a military spouse and working with so many veterans in my real estate business, I’m particularly sensitive to resources for those caregivers of veterans and service members. I recently stumbled upon AARP’s free Military Caregiving Guide — a practical tool to help you stay organized, find resources, and create a personalized caregiving plan.

Caregiving generally includes:

  • Checking in regularly and offering companionship
  • Providing transportation or helping with errands
  • Preparing meals and handling household chores
  • Assisting with personal care
  • Performing medical or nursing tasks
  • Coordinating appointments and care plans

Whether you’re supporting someone on active duty, retired, wounded, ill, or disabled, you don’t have to do it alone. AARP has amazing resources available for you including their Free Military Caregiving Guide.

This easy-to-use guide helps you:

  • Stay organized throughout your caregiving journey
  • Identify available resources and support systems
  • Build and adapt a caregiving plan that fits your situation

You can go through the guide from start to finish or jump straight to the sections that matter most to you. And as your veteran’s needs evolve, revisit the guide to reassess and update your plan.

📘 Here’s the guide: AARP Veterans and Military Families Caregiver Resource Guide

>>Want to learn more about Atlanta Seniors Real Estate, reach out to us anytime.

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Common mistakes Veterans make when seeking disability benefits

When Veterans are filing for their benefits, there are common errors that can be the reason for an unsuccessful benefits claim.

Kiplinger is out with a list of mistakes to avoid including;

  1. Waiting too long to file
  2. An incomplete diagnosis or treatment history
  3. Failure to show a clear connection
  4. Neglecting to file for priority appeal review
  5. Not claiming unemployability as a result of the disability

Click here to read more about each of these mistakes and some tips to avoid them.

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Why November 11th is so special.

On this Veteran’s Day, we honor all veterans. We mark Veterans Day on the anniversary of the end of WWI. Here is a bit more information about this special occasion.

>Originally known as Armistice Day recognizing the end of WW1 when an armistice between the Allied Nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
>In 1926, Congress adopted a resolution asking President Coolidge to issue annual proclamations calling for the observance of November 11th with appropriate ceremonies.
>A Congressional Act was approved May 13, 1938 making November 11th a legal holiday – Armistice Day.
>In 1945, a WW2 veteran from Birmingham, Alabama named Raymond Weeks led an effort to honor all veterans on Armistice Day.
>The holiday was established on May 26, 1954 and, in June, was renamed Veterans Day.
>A 2-minute silence is recommended to be observed at 2:11pm EST on November 11th.

For more information about the history of Veterans Day, Visit:
History of Veterans Day – Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (va.gov).

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Georgia County Brings Back Veteran Transportation

(From the Rockdale Newton Citizen Newspaper)

Getting to medical appointments at the Veterans Hospital in Decatur and the VA clinics in Covington and Stockbridge just got easier for Rockdale County veterans.

Veterans can now take advantage of the Veteran Transportation Program, which provides a specially-designed vehicle called the Eagle, to transport them to medical appointments. The service is available to honorably discharged Rockdale County veterans of any age.

Veterans may be picked up for the trip at either their home, the Veterans Affairs Office, or at Rockdale Senior Services. The Veteran Transportation Program offers additional personnel to assist the veteran in and out of their appointments along with open spots for caregivers to attend the appointment with their loved one.

>>Read more here

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Veterans Benefits Helping with Long Term Care

What you need to know about VA Aid and Attendance benefits.

As Seniors Real Estate Specialists, we come across many veterans who are preparing for alternative accommodation due to their health conditions and they are not always aware of some of the benefits that they may be eligible to receive. Our initial consultations often reveal details that allow us to offer support and or services that will assist them on their journey.

Veteran benefits are just one of the services we have shared with our clients that allow them more flexibility to afford their preferred senior living community. Such as in the case of Mr. & Mrs. B, who would have settled in a place not close enough to their adult children, if we didn’t help them find out about a veteran benefit that would help them. It provided them with more than $2,000 per month which would go directly toward their living expenses for a beautiful 2-bedroom cottage located in a Senior Living Community within 10 miles of their children (they were over 40 miles away before the move!).

In today’s economy, families are having to make tough financial choices, but some have relief available when it comes to long-term care for their loved ones. Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit (not widely known about), is a government program that can help families better manage the costs of caring for an elderly veteran or dependents.

So, what is Aid and Attendance?

VA Aid and Attendance is a monthly pension benefit that provides tax-free payments to Veterans who served during wartime. In addition to being available for Veterans, single surviving spouses and dependent children are also eligible for this benefit.

You may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension, and you meet at least one of these requirements.

  • You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or
  • You have to stay in bed—or spend a large portion of the day in bed—because of illness, or
  • You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or
  • Your eyesight is considerably limited

For more detailed information please visit VA.gov.